A Minor Setback

I can always count on life to be interesting. This particular variety comes in the form of a minor injury – it absolutely could have been much worse. The good news is that I’m pretty darn self-sufficient; the bad news is that I cannot weave. And likely not for many weeks.

Two weekends ago I was out running with friends when I tripped and fell. Because I didn’t want to crack my head open on a looming chunk of concrete, I threw my arm out and WHAM – I cracked my radial head. This is the tip of one of the two bones in the forearm, closest to the elbow. I also managed to lacerate my knee pretty spectacularly (not an abrasion! upgraded to laceration!) but that’s trivial. A trip to Urgent Care, and x-ray and this:

you can just see the fracture on the interior of the elbow – go diagonally upward from the little arrow and you can see the bone fragment. They put me in a splint that ran from mid-palm to mid-bicep, gave me a prescription for painkillers (thank goodness I have friends in the medical profession who gave advice in this department) and a referral to the Orthopedic Surgeon with orders to call that coming Monday. Then they left me to it.

The earliest available appointment was that coming Friday. I allowed myself a single consultation with Dr. Google, and then all I could do was think about it. It was painful. It was uncomfortable. Small wins included being able to tie my shoes, cover the splint with a garbage bag so that I could shower and buttoning my pants. I’d read prognoses that went from 1-2 weeks of immobilization all the way to surgery that included pins and plates. Honestly, it was *awful*.

Then Friday came around and I saw the doc. The nurse removed the splint as soon as I hit the exam room (scary!) and the next thing I knew, the doc came in, asked a few questions, poked and prodded; “Does this hurt? This? Raise your arm. Make a fist. Wiggle your fingers. Well, this looks great. Here’s your order for PT, make a follow-up appointment next week, don’t lift anything heavy and stop falling down.” What? That’s all? We’re done? HALLELUJAH! So I ran right home and started doing this:

He said it’s good therapy. I also made pie. I may not be able to weave, but I sure can be ready for the day they let me start.